The soundtrack to the 2000 film, Almost Famous, is receiving extensive, expanded editions for a belated 20th anniversary. The award-winning, semi-autobiographical film, written and directed by Cameron Crowe depicts a teenage journalist who followed a fictional rock band for Rolling Stone. The new CD collection from UMe arrived July 9, 2021. A limited Super Deluxe Uber edition (see below) arrived August 20. The expanded soundtrack includes classic rock songs from the Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, The Who, Yes, and more, all the songs created for the film’s fictional aspiring rock group Stillwater, as well as the cast’s memorable performance of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer.”
From the May 21 announcement: Two decades later, the Oscar/BAFTA/Golden Globe Award-winning Almost Famous remains one of the sweetest love letters to the genre, one that deftly captured the look, the sound, the feel, the attitude of what rock ‘n’ roll meant to its creators, its most fervent adherents, its hangers-on and its worried parents during a golden era of pop music. The movie’s legacy is celebrated with the first-ever release of all the music that so powerfully fueled Crowe’s story, based on his own power chord-driven odyssey from wide-eyed music-loving kid to respected rock journalist to celebrated filmmaker.
The film starred Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, as well as Zooey Deschanel, Anna Paquin, Bijou Phillips, Terry Chen, Jay Baruchel, Jimmy Fallon and Rainn Wilson.
The film’s Grammy® Award-winning soundtrack has been augmented in the limited-edition Uber Box set that encompasses an expanded soundtrack with five CDs, seven 180-gram black vinyl discs, and a brand new 7-inch for Stillwater’s “Fever Dog.” The Uber Box, which arrives August 20, includes a 40-page photo book and memoir housed in a film-prop-replica of lead character William Miller’s high-school notebook complete with writings by Crowe, Heart’s Nancy Wilson (who co-wrote much of the original music), along with cast and crew members; the first-ever complete William Miller cover story on Stillwater as a 1973 Rolling Stone newsprint; two replica ticket stubs from Stillwater’s San Diego and Cleveland concerts; and other items.
Watch the official unboxing video for the Uber Deluxe Edition
Among the 103 audio tracks are numerous clips of dialogue released for the first time: including the promise from William’s sister Anita that “One day you’ll be cool,” and crackling exchanges between William and Creem magazine rock critic Lester Bangs, the real-life mentor who offered early encouragement to then-teenaged rock fan Crowe to pursue his desire to write about the music he loved.
Listen to Stillwater’s bonus track, “Love Comes And Goes”
The set is also highlighted with the inclusion of Elton John’s iconic “Tiny Dancer,” newly mixed with the cast members singing alongside the song as featured in the film.
Watch an earlier version of the scene
For the new release of the soundtrack music, all of Nancy Wilson’s score music is included, along with 14 score outtakes that didn’t make the final film.
Listen to Wilson’s “Lucky Trumble”
Along with the thirteen-disc Uber Deluxe box, Universal is issuing LP editions, a 5-CD Super Deluxe set including 102 tracks, 36 of them previously unreleased songs; and a two-CD Deluxe Edition of the original soundtrack.
Listen to the previously unreleased Almost Famous version of The Who’s “Amazing Journey” / “Sparks” from Tommy
Led Zeppelin approved the use of five songs for the film—unprecedented at the time. When Crowe showed the film to Robert Plant and Jimmy Page during his pitch to persuade them to grant use of the songs he wanted, Plant raised a question: “Was your mother really like that?” after taking in Frances McDormand’s endearingly taut performance as William’s over-anxious, over-protective college professor mom, Elaine. Cameron told him, “That and more.”
The original release of the film’s soundtrack included only Zeppelin’s “That’s the Way,” while the new set adds in “Misty Mountain Hop,” “The Rain Song,” “Bron-Yr-Aur” and “Tangerine.”
Related: 11 movies that rock
Actor Jason Lee, whose performance as Stillwater vocalist Jeff Bebe nailed a combination of bravado and underlying insecurity, says, “Every time I watch the movie…every time the bus is pulling away as Led Zeppelin’s ‘Tangerine’ plays at the end…it kind of crushes me a little bit. That song is a … killer. And with the dust kicking up as the bus is driving away…that moment for me, watching it as an audience member? Perfect. Watching it as a cast member and an audience member? It’s bittersweet.”
To complement the expanded soundtrack, Paramount Home Entertainment released the film for the first time on 4K Ultra HD, in a limited-edition Steelbook, as well as in a new limited-edition Blu-ray in the Paramount Presents line on July 13. Meticulously remastered from a new 4K film transfer under Crowe’s supervision Almost Famous is presented in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision® and HDR-10 for ultra-vivid picture quality. The limited-edition 4K Ultra HD Steelbook includes both the original theatrical cut (plus access to a digital copy) and the beloved Bootleg cut (aka “Untitled”), along with new bonus content offering a backstage pass into the creative process through a new interview with Crowe, extended scenes, rock-school sessions, a look at the casting and costumes, and more. Order it here.
Listen to many other songs and see the complete track listing for the Uber Deluxe box below the links.
Uber Box Track List – *Previously unreleased
CD 1
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) – Alvin & The Chipmunks
The Oogum Boogum Song – Brenton Wood
America – Simon & Garfunkel
“One Day You’ll Be Cool”
Amazing Journey / Sparks (Almost Famous Version) – The Who*
Search And Destroy – Iggy & The Stooges
“Rock N’ Roll It’s Over”
It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference – Todd Rundgren
“Don’t Take Drugs”
Teacher (U.S. Version) – Jethro Tull
“We Are Band Aids”
Roundabout – Yes
“Incendiary”
I’ve Seen All Good People: a. Your Move, b. All Good People – Yes
Feel Flows – The Beach Boys
“This Is Penny Lane”
River – Joni Mitchell
“Piggyback Ride (San Diego)”
Fever Dog – Stillwater
Listen to Stillwater’s previously unreleased version of “Something in the Air”
CD 2
Every Picture Tells A Story – Rod Stewart
Small Time Blues (Acoustic) – The Hyatt Singers
Something In The Air – Stillwater*
Easy To Slip – Little Feat
“Rolling Stone Magazine”
Go All The Way – The Raspberries
Mr. Farmer – The Seeds
One Way Out (Live) – The Allman Brothers Band
“Don’t Forget The Rules”
Albert Flasher (Live) – The Guess Who
Simple Man – Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Just Make Us Look Cool”
Love Thing – Stillwater
That’s The Way – Led Zeppelin
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere – Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Future Games – Fleetwood Mac
Burn – Deep Purple
You Had To Be There – Stillwater
“I Am A Golden God”
Dear Jill – Blodwyn Pig
Tiny Dancer (Almost Famous Version) – Elton John, Stillwater & Cast*
Listen to the Almost Famous version of “Tiny Dancer”
CD 3
Looking At You – MC5
Reeling In The Years (Live) – Steely Dan*
Lucky Trumble – Nancy Wilson
Untitled – Jeff Bebe*
I’m Waiting For The Man (Live) – David Bowie
“Your Mom Kind Of Freaked Me Out”
“Please Welcome Stillwater!”
Love Comes And Goes – Stillwater
“You Gotta Take What You Can, When You Can”
The Wind – Cat Stevens
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Slip Away – Clarence Carter
Misty Mountain Hop – Led Zeppelin
Wishing Well – Free
“Cover Of The Rolling Stone”
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters – Elton John
Colour My World – Jefferson High School Band
My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder
Cortez The Killer (Live) – Neil Young*
“You Made Friends With Them”
The Rain Song – Led Zeppelin
“We All Know What You Did To Him”
Bron-Yr-Aur – Led Zeppelin
“What Do You Love About Music?”
Tangerine – Led Zeppelin
Listen to Steely Dan’s “Reeling in the Years” (live)
CD4
STILLWATER
Fever Dog
Love Thing
You Had To Be There
Hour Of Need
Chance Upon You
Love Comes And Goes
STILLWATER DEMOS
Love Comes And Goes (Early Version)*
Fever Dog*
Love Thing*
Chance Upon You*
Love Comes And Goes*
Hour Of Need*
You Had To Be There*
Listen to the demo for “Fever Dog”
STILLWATER BACKSTAGE JAMS
That’s The Way (Acoustic) – Larry Fellows & Ed Valencourt*
Down By The River (Acoustic) – Larry Fellows & Ed Valencourt*
Fever Dog (Acoustic) – Stillwater*
CD5
ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE
Prefunction*
Cabin By The River*
Lucky Trumble
Dapple Tree*
Cabin In The Air*
Dear Peggy*
Bye Bye Now*
ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE OUTTAKES*
Cabin (Outtake 1)
Moody
Morocco
Aurora
Mood Swing
The Teenager
Borealis
Strummy
Tiny Dancer Intro
Mando Swagger
Cabin (Outtake 2)
Love Stomp
Function
Aaron’s Real Room
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